Tony Perry

Two people aboard a home-built airplane were killed Saturday when it crashed near the Ramona Airport in northeastern San Diego County, officials said. The plane was performing aerobatics when it went into a dive and crashed about 2:35 p.m. No injuries were reported on the ground. Federal Aviation Administration specialists were investigating the incident. -- Tony Perry

Reader Richard Jennings' petulant sniping at reporter Tony Perry's medical misfortune while covering Marine combat operations in Falloujah for the past three months is both unseemly and well off the mark (Letters, May 30). Perry has consistently and accurately reported on the actions and the troops involved in a manner deserving of the hightest commendation. As a Marine combat veteran from a long-ago conflict in Korea, I would welcome Perry in my foxhole anytime. Art Thatcher Thousand Oaks

A 19-year-old man was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for setting a brush fire. It only covered about 200 square feet, but was set during a state-declared emergency as fire raced through hundreds of thousands of acres in San Diego County. Gorgonio Nava pleaded guilty to a single count of arson. The fire was set Oct. 23, two days after the emergency was declared throughout Southern California. -- Tony Perry

A 25-year-old former computer student was sentenced Friday in federal court to 14 years in prison for producing child pornography. Thanh Do pleaded guilty in March. Prosecutors said Do used a webcam to record pornography after persuading minors to engage in sexual conduct. After serving his prison sentence, Do will be required to register as a sex offender. -- Tony Perry

Fourteen people from Southern California with ties to China have been indicted on charges of smuggling the illegal drug ecstasy to the U.S., officials said Thursday. Nine of the 14 are in custody; the others are being sought. The alleged scheme involved trips from Los Angeles to Guangzhou. A year ago more than 49,000 pills were seized during a raid in San Gabriel, according to court documents. -- Tony Perry

A La Jolla man was sentenced Monday to 15 months in federal prison for making hoax bomb threats to UC San Diego. Richard Sills, 55, conceded making the calls and planting a fake bomb in an effort to disrupt animal research on the campus. District Judge Larry Burns also ordered Sills to pay $10,419 in restitution to the campus and to a research firm targeted by his late 2007 hoax. -- Tony Perry